For more information, contact:

Wes Sumner

(321) 674-6218

wsumner@fit.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aug.19, 2010

Florida Tech a Core University of New FAA Center of 

Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Wednesday 

announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected New Mexico 

State University (NMSU), Las Cruces, NM, to lead a new Air Transportation Center of 

Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation. The center is a partnership of 

academia, industry, and government, developed for the purpose of creating a worldclass consortium that will address current and future challenges for commercial space 

transportation. 

Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne is a core university of the center.

The Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion (FCAAP), a partnership of Florida 

universities, is also core to the center. FCAAP-involved institutions include the 

University of Florida, Florida State University and the University of Central Florida. 

Other key supporters who will be integral to the center’s success include: Space Florida, 

the NASA Kennedy Space Center, the NASA Glenn Research Center, Virgin Galactic, 

SpaceX, Qinetiq North America/Analex, Florida Turbine Technologies, the International 

Space University and Starfighters.

“The Obama Administration is committed to making sure the United States 

remains the world leader in space development and exploration,” said Secretary 
LaHood. “This new center underscores that commitment, and will ensure that the 

commercial space community can meet our current and future space transportation 

needs.” 

The Obama Administration recently released its new National Space Policy, 

which recognizes opportunities and advancements in commercial space transportation 

and lays out specific ways to use commercial capabilities. 

“Commercial space flight is ready to play a greater role in the nation’s space 

program,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “Universities working with industry 

partners will fuel the research necessary to help keep us in the forefront of both 

technology and safety in space.” 

Called the Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation, the new 

center is expected to begin operations this month. The research and development efforts 

will include four major research areas: space launch operations and traffic management; 

launch vehicle systems, payloads, technologies, and operations; commercial human 

space flight; and space commerce (including space law, space insurance, space policy 

and space regulation). The FAA will enter into 50-50 cost-sharing cooperative 

agreements to establish the partnerships, with plans to invest at least $1 million per year 

for the initial five years of the center’s operations. 

NMSU Las Cruces will lead a team of colleges and universities throughout the 

country. Other core universities participating not previously mentioned include: 

Stanford University in California, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology 

in Socorro, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and the University of Texas Medical 

Branch at Galveston. 

Congress authorized Air Transportation Centers of Excellence under the Federal 

Aviation Administration Research, Engineering and Development Authorization Act of 

1990. This legislation enables the FAA to work with universities and their industry 

partners to conduct research in environment and aviation safety, and other activities to 
assure a safe and efficient air transportation system. With the establishment of this 

center, research will extend to cutting-edge technologies and infrastructure for private 

human spaceflight and orbital debris mitigation. 

The United States’ space program has three sectors — civil, military and 

commercial. The FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation is responsible for 

licensing, regulating and promoting the commercial sector space industry. Since the 

office was created in 1984, the FAA has issued licenses for more than 200 launches, has 

licensed the operation of eight FAA-approved launch sites known as spaceports, and 

has helped ensure that no loss of life or serious injury has been associated with these 

efforts. For more information on FAA’s commercial space transportation activities, a 

fact sheet is available at: http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=11559 

The FAA has established eight other centers of excellence, focusing on air cabin 

environment, noise and emissions mitigation, airport pavement technology, operations 

research, advanced materials, aircraft structures, airworthiness assurance, and general 

aviation. For more information about the FAA Centers of Excellence program, visit the 

web page at http://www.faa.gov/go/coe. 

About Florida Institute of Technology

Founded at the dawn of the Space Race in 1958, Florida Tech is the only 

independent, technological university in the Southeast. With more than 9,000 students 

enrolled on main campus, extended campuses and online, Florida Tech has been named 

a Barron's Guide “Best Buy” in College Education, designated a Tier One Best National 

University in U.S. News & World Report, and named as one of just nine schools in 

Florida lauded by the 2011 Fiske Guide to Colleges. The university offers 

undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. Fields of study include science, 

engineering, aeronautics, business, humanities, mathematics, psychology, 

communication and education. Additional information is available online at 

www.fit.edu.

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